Woodside

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  WOODSIDE

  THE VISIT TO THE WATCH-DOG._Page 13._]

  Thomas Nelson and Sons,

  _LONDON, EDINBURGH, AND NEW YORK._

  THE ARRIVAL AT GRANDPAPA'S._Page 10._]

  WOODSIDE

  OR,

  _Look, Listen, and Learn._

  BY

  Caroline Hadley,

  AUTHOR OF "CHILDREN'S SAYINGS," "STORIES OF OLD,""STORIES OF THE APOSTLES,"ETC. ETC.

  London:

  T. NELSON AND SONS, PATERNOSTER ROW.EDINBURGH; AND NEW YORK.1902

  "And Nature, the old nurse, took The child upon her knee,Saying: 'Here is a story-book Thy Father has written for thee.

  "'Come wander with me,' she said, 'Into regions yet untrod,And read what is still unread Of the manuscripts of God.'

  "And he wandered away and away With Nature, the dear old nurse,Who sang to him night and day The rhymes of the universe."

  H. W. LONGFELLOW.

  Contents.

  I. GRANDPAPA'S HOUSE, 9

  II. LISTENING IN THE WOODS, 17

  III. TOM'S BIRDS' EGGS, 27

  IV. JACK AND THE GARDENER, 36

  V. HIVING THE BEES, 47

  VI. WASPS AND THEIR WAYS, 58

  VII. CHARLEY FOSTER'S PETS, 66

  VIII. A TALK WITH AUNT LIZZIE, 80

  IX. AFTER THE RAIN, 95

  X. THE SIX CLOSED DOORS, 105

  List of Illustrations.

  THE ARRIVAL AT GRANDPAPA'S, _Frontispiece_

  THE VISIT TO THE WATCH-DOG, _Vignette_

  THE VISIT TO THE PONY, 13

  TOM SHOWING THE REDBREAST'S EGGS, 29

  JACK AND THE THRUSH'S NEST, 36

  REYNARD HARD PUSHED, 45

  CHARLEY FOSTER'S COLLECTION, 68

  THE TEA ON THE LAWN, 82

  WOODSIDE.

  I.

  _GRANDPAPA'S HOUSE._

  "Now for the dear, dear country, Its trees and meadows fair,Its roses, cowslips, violets, Whose sweetness fills the air.

  "'Tis there we hear the music Of lark's and blackbird's song,And merry little finches, Singing the whole day long."--C. H.

  One bright spring day, not so very long ago, three little childrenarrived at their grandfather's house. They had come to pay a long visit,as their parents were travelling abroad for two or three months.

  Now grandpapa lived less than twenty miles from London, yet his housewas quite in the country,--indeed you might have thought that it was ahundred miles away from any town,--and it was called Woodside.

  You may be sure that Jack, Mary, and Annie--for those were the names ofthe children--thought the change from London most delightful.

  Jack was the eldest--that is why I have put his name before those of hissisters--and he was ten years old. Mary was the next in age, and she wasnearly nine; while Annie, the youngest, was seven.

  On the day they arrived they felt very quiet, all was so strange afterLondon; besides, they were busy unpacking their toys and picture-books,and in finding places for all their treasures in the rooms grandmammahad set apart for them.

  They went to bed early too, and never once woke till their nurse calledthem in the morning. At first they felt sorry it was time to get up, butwhen Jane drew up the blinds, and they saw the bright sunshine and theclear blue sky, they made haste to dress, so that after breakfast wasover they might go out of doors.

  Each of them had visited at Woodside several times before, but they hadnot been all together there at the same time. They knew very well howmany interesting things there were to see out of doors, and they hopedthat there would be something new. There was sure to be a differenceamong the animals and flowers.

  The old house looked the same as they drove up to it, with its twentyoak trees in a semi-circle and the gates in the middle. There was thesame watch-dog, Lion; and on the parlour hearth-rug, lying curled up inthe sunshine, lay Smut, grandmamma's large black cat.

  A very respectable old gentleman was Smut, with his sleek, glossy coat;but he stood too much on his dignity ever to play. The children coaxedhim and patted him; yet he took no notice, he just curled himself roundand went to sleep again.

  A proud old cat was Smut; he would never touch food or milk in thekitchen. His food was put on a plate for him out of doors, and he hadhis milk in a saucer in the parlour. When he was out of doors, he alwayscame in again by the front door, never at the back.

  The children soon spied something new in the shape of a long-hairedkitten, whose fur was gray and soft. She was bright and lively, and wasvery pleased to play with the children; for Smut would never take anynotice of her, or play with her one bit: so she and the children becamevery good friends, and had many a game together.

  After breakfast was over, grandmamma told the children they might put ontheir hats and go out of doors. They did not need to be spoken to twice.

  First of all they had a run round the garden, peeped into thegreenhouse, and said "How do you do?" to the gardener. But they did notstop long among the lovely spring flowers, for they were in such hasteto see the animals.

  THE VISIT TO THE PONY._Page 13._]

  Jack said, "We must pay our first visit to the pony;" so away they wentto the stable.

  The pony was very sober and steady, and, I am sorry to add, rather lazy;so the children did not get much fun out of him. He lifted up his headand gave a little neigh to Jack, for he seemed to remember him; and thenhe went on eating his hay in the most unconcerned manner.

  They then went to see the large dog in the yard. Lion was very glad tosee them. He harked with delight, wagged his tail, rattled his chain; infact he seemed as if he would break away from it, in his eagerness tomeet the children.

  "Lion is ever so much nicer than the pony," they said.

  The fact was, the pony had not much work to do, and his chief thoughtswere about his hay and his corn and his nice warm stable. Now Lion,although he was generally chained to his kennel, had to watch forothers. He was always listening to hear if any one came upon thepremises who had no business there; and he barked so loudly that trampsand idle people thought it best to go away. He always welcomed thegardener and the servants, and especially his master, whenever they cameto see him; so that every one about the place would give a pat or a wordto the friendly dog whenever they passed that way.

  "Now let us go and see the fowls," said Mary.

  On the right hand side of the drive up to the house was a wide strip ofgrass planted with shrubs. Here, standing back, were some wireenclosures inside of which were some choice broods of chickens.

  The girls could have stopped here "for hours," they said, watching thelittle chickens, that looked like balls of white or yellow or gray downrunning about or hiding under their mothers' wings.

  However, most of the fowls were in the orchard, close by which was thehen-house. Fancy what a pretty sight that orchard was this sunshinyspring morning! How alive with different sorts of fowls running hitherand thither--black, and gray, and speckled; old motherly hens, and pert,lively young ones; while the cocks strutted a
bout and crowed one againstanother. Then a hen would come out of the hen-house, where the nestswere, telling all the world, by her loud, proud cackling, that she hadlaid an egg. What noise there was then, for cocks and hens would alljoin in chorus. Some of the hens seemed to get together to have a quietchat, as if they were talking over their family affairs; about whichthey did not always seem to agree, if you might judge by their noise.

  By this time grandpapa had finished reading his newspaper and came tothe children. He took them to the cow-house to see the new calf, and helifted Annie up to let her stroke it; but the mother looked so fiercethat they did not care to stay long there. Then they went into the yardto see the pigs. The little pigs looked so funny running about thelarge, clean sty, as if they loved the bright sunshine and liked to playabout in it. But when they fed they would put their feet in the trough,and this was not very mannerly of them.

  By the time the children had paid a visit to all the old places theywere getting rather tired, and then they went back to the house.